


The Circuitous Route

by nonebutyou



Category: Days of Our Lives
Genre: Episode Tag, Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-14
Updated: 2018-03-14
Packaged: 2019-03-31 08:12:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13970958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nonebutyou/pseuds/nonebutyou
Summary: Paul just had to go out for some air and run into Sonny again. Of course he did. As if two times in one night weren't enough already.





	The Circuitous Route

**Author's Note:**

> Episode tag for Monday, February 12th.

After Will’s door closed with a soft snick behind him, Paul wavered in front of his own room. He felt too keyed up to even think about going to bed, like he'd been hit with every emotion imaginable in a matter of hours. He needed to sort through the mess in his head before he ended up spending the night tossing and turning.

Paul pulled his jacket back on and headed down the hall. Maybe a walk would do him good.

;-;

There were four distinct events that were clamouring for his attention.

The first was Brady’s failed wedding. It was hard to think about that, and not just because he was sorry for both Brady and Eve. The moment the wedding had turned south, that awful, hollow feeling he’d gotten when Sonny ran out of theirs had come back like it’d never left. It still sat in his stomach now, made worse by his encounters with Sonny.

There was nothing left between him and Sonny anymore. There was no getting around that fact. If the unceremonious way Sonny had ended their relationship wasn't enough of a clue, then every bitter, cutting word he'd directed towards Paul since then was. Sonny as he was at the Kiriakis mansion and at Will’s place tonight was little more than a stranger, lashing out at people who didn't deserve it.

And as he sat down on a bench in Horton Town Square, suddenly exhausted, Paul reminded himself he didn't deserve anything Sonny had said to him. Sonny had made his choice and Will had made his own, too, both of them independent of anything Paul wanted.

‘I’m surprised to see you here. I thought you and Will would be all over each other by now.’

Paul closed his eyes, steeling himself before he looked up.

‘I don't want to do this with you again, Sonny.’

‘Really?’ Sonny’s eyes were cold. ‘Well, that’s too bad, because I have a lot of things I want to say to you.’

‘Okay,’ Paul snapped, giving into a sudden rush of anger as he got to his feet. ‘Fine. Say what you want. Why should you start considering my feelings now, right?’

‘Oh, that's rich, coming from the guy hooking up with my husband,’ Sonny spat back. ‘You know, I’m curious. Why _did_ you go straight to Will’s from the mansion? Were you hoping I’d see the two of you together?’

‘Did I—? Can you even hear yourself? Does that sound like something I would do?’

A part of him, some small and hopelessly hopeful part of him, wanted Sonny to take it back, to apologise for even thinking Paul would deliberately try to hurt him. How could someone who’d loved Paul and who’d wanted to marry him, once upon a time, now have such a low opinion of him?

‘I don’t know,’ Sonny said flatly. ‘I don't know anything anymore. I never thought my husband would come back from the dead and not even want to try to fix our marriage. I never thought he'd start chasing after you instead. And I _never_ imagined you’d chase him right back!’

The hollow feeling had gone, replaced by a steady, thrumming ache. He and Sonny were really done. There was no going back from this.

‘You’ve been nothing but an asshole to me since Will came back,’ Paul said, surprised at how cool he sounded even to his own ears. ‘I don't owe you anything. I’m only going to give you an explanation because I’m stupid enough to still care about you.

‘I haven't slept with Will. What you interrupted tonight was the furthest we've gone and it wasn't… I wasn't thinking clearly. I like him, but I’m not ready for things to go that fast.’

‘So it was a good thing I showed up, was it?’ Sonny laughed mirthlessly. ‘Great. I’m so glad I could help your budding relationship with my husband get off to the right start.’

‘I’ve told you this before, and I’ll tell you again, Sonny: I did not chase after Will. I tried to keep him at a distance.’

‘Right up until you didn't.’

‘Yes.’ Paul met Sonny’s eyes unflinchingly. ‘And you want to know why that happened? Because you broke my heart and you made sure it stayed broken every time you saw me. I don't know what's going to happen with Will, but I’m happier around him than I’ve been in a long time. He doesn't expect anything more than I’m willing to give. Maybe you would have had better luck with him if you’d done the same.’

For the first time that night, he saw something other than anger from Sonny. He’d expected it to hurt to see the man he used to love in pain, but mostly he just felt a detached sort of compassion.

‘Will being alive… That was a miracle I never dreamed could happen,’ Sonny said quietly. ‘What would you have done in my place, Paul?’

Paul didn't know whether Sonny was talking about his decision to end their relationship or the way he'd gone about trying to hold onto Will. Maybe the answer was the same for both.

‘I don't know,’ he sighed. ‘But he's not your husband anymore, and he doesn't want to be. You should remember that.’

He had nothing else to say. He left Sonny standing there and didn't look back.

;-;

There was light still coming from under Will’s door when Paul got back. He hesitated in front of it and then knocked softly.

Will was dressed for bed, but he had a book in his hand, a finger caught between the pages to mark his place. He was obviously surprised to see Paul.

‘Hey,’ he said. ‘Everything okay? I thought you'd be sleeping by now.’

‘No, I went out for some air. I wanted to clear my head a bit.’

Will nodded in understanding. ‘Did it help?’

‘Yeah, it did.’ Paul stepped in, close enough to hear Will’s breath catch, just a little. ‘And I just wanted to tell you I’m still working things out with myself, but I’m looking forward to spending time with you tomorrow.’

‘Oh.’ Will looked pleased, if somewhat confused. ‘Well, thank you for telling me that.’

Paul had told Sonny that being around Will made him happy. But he was starting to realise it was more than that. Seeing Will, he thought, helped calm something unsettled inside him.

‘Do you remember what you said to me on New Year’s Eve?’ he asked. ‘When we ran into each other before midnight?’

‘I remember saying a lot of things,’ Will said with a wry smile. ‘I kissed you, too.’

Paul smiled back. ‘You told me that you felt less pressure around me about getting your memories back, that I helped you by just being me.’

‘I did say that.’

‘You do the same for me,’ Paul said simply. ‘You make me feel better just by being you.’

Paul leaned in before Will could say anything and kissed him softly, lingering long enough to feel him tense in surprise and then relax into it. When they broke apart, they were both smiling.

‘Goodnight, Will,’ he said. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow.’

‘Yeah.’ Will leaned against the door, watching him draw back into the hall. ‘See you then.’

Six months ago, Paul had been in love and ready to marry someone he’d thought loved him back. He'd never been more certain about any other decision in his life. It was funny to think how quickly that had changed. He had no idea what would happen in a day’s time anymore, let alone a week or a month into the future.

He unlocked his door and glanced back to see Will disappearing into his room.

But maybe it was okay not to know.


End file.
